The Roaming Eye
by PyramidHead316
Summary: Set during the Clone Wars. On a break from the war, Anakin faces his greatest opponent yet: a creature that feeds on fear, and uses mind games to torment its victim. Can Anakin defeat this menace without going insane?
1. The Aftermath

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. "The Moving Finger" belongs to Stephen King. This story is only for the entertainment of the fans. I make no money whatsoever off it.

AN: This is my first entry into the world of Star Wars humor fics. It is also the first of what may eventually become a series of ficlets with the central theme of a monster. This story was inspired by an old episode of _Monsters_, a horror anthology series. The episode in question was based off the Stephen King short story _The Moving Finger_, which appeared in the book _Nightmares & Dreamscapes_. After learning that _Monsters_ was back on the air, I felt compelled to write this. Please read and review.

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**Part 1 – The Aftermath**

Mace Windu scanned the lines of text on the datapad, not saying a word. Obi-Wan stared at him nervously, wondering if the man would think he was as insane as Anakin now.

"You vouch for the accuracy of this report?" Mace inquired, his tone set in an emotionless pitch.

"As much as I can, Master Windu, given the circumstances," Obi-Wan replied.

It wasn't as though he had been there himself. And Anakin wasn't exactly in the state to speak clearly. It was a miracle Obi-Wan was able to get this much out of him.

Mace contemplated that for a while. "Where are they now?" he asked.

"Anakin is in the Healer's wing, being treated for anxiety on a massive level. We uh…we had to strap him down to administer the sedatives," Obi-Wan stated, clearly uncomfortable thinking about his Padawan in that condition. "As for Serra, she's…recovering from her injuries."

"I see. You realize this is an incredible set of circumstances. I dare say it's unbelievable," Mace remarked.

"I realize that, Master. But it is the truth, I have no doubt of that." Kenobi hesitated, but felt compelled to add the next part. "The…evidence speaks for itself."

Mace thought about that as Kenobi stood with him in silence. It was just the two of them – all the other Masters were busy with the same thing. And even though they hadn't admitted it, Obi-Wan had a strong hunch as to what that certain activity was. No Jedi would be sleeping soundly tonight until they'd methodically checked every inch of their living quarters.

And who could blame them? This had never happened in the history of the Jedi Order before. They had encountered all sorts of creatures in their thousand year tenure as the guardians of the Republic, and been in all sorts of weird experiences. But this one…this one took the cake, and not just because their Chosen One was strapped down in a healer's ward raving like a madman.

As they gazed out at the Coruscant twilight, Obi-Wan was struck by a most unsettling thought. It could have been him in Anakin's place, had he not traded apartments with the other man at his Padawan's insistence. Not to worry, though. He'd already decided on his own solution to the fear suddenly plaguing the Temple inhabitants.

He was _never_ going to use the 'fresher in his apartment again.


	2. Day One: It Begins

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. _The Moving Finger_ belongs to Stephen King.

AN: I'm really enjoying working on this fic. It's proving a nice diversion from my usual projects. :)

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**Part 2 – Day One: It Begins**

_**Three days ago…**_

Anakin Skywalker walked into the apartment he maintained on Coruscant. It was nice to be home.

He wasn't there often. Even on the rare occasions when he got a break from the war, he usually stayed over at Padme's place. It was cozy and peaceful, and contained one important feature that this apartment did not: the presence of his very loving wife. Unfortunately Padme wasn't on the planet this time. She was still back on Naboo meeting with the Queen about some bill for the Senate. Anakin wished she'd have been able to get away, but he understood she had to attend to her duties. Besides, it wasn't like he'd be here only for a day. His leave was scheduled for two weeks, assuming nothing unexpected suddenly popped up. He would be here when she got back.

Anakin sank back into the leather sofa. Technically he wasn't supposed to have it; the couch had been a gift from Padme for his new apartment. Not knowing they were involved, Obi-Wan had foolishly argued against it, claiming a Jedi should have as minimal possessions as possible. The tongue lashing he had received that day from Padme had sent the Master practically crying back to the Council for Master Yoda. Even without revealing their relationship, Senator Amidala made one hell of a case for Anakin deserving some reward for everything he had done. _"Serves him right"_, Anakin thought at the time, _"trying to take my Padme's gift away from me."_

Matter of fact, Anakin suspected the real reason for Obi-Wan's resistance was quite different from standing up for the Jedi Code. Obi-Wan wanted the couch, plain and simple. He loved having something over Anakin, and the couch would be the coup-de-grace of his superiority. A gift from Anakin's close friend taken instead for a man she barely knew – the ultimate proof that Obi-Wan was the Master and Anakin would always be the Padawan.

Besides, the couch just looked damn good in his apartment.

The apartment itself was the same as the one he'd turned down in favor of this one. He had traded it for his former Master's because of how close this one was to Padme's apartment at 500 Republica. Obi-Wan suspected the reason, but he could do nothing to argue against it. This was one battle the famous Negotiator of the Jedi Council could not win.

Cozy but sparse, the apartment was not one of Anakin's favorite places to spent time at. He preferred to stay over at Padme's luxurious flat. His angel was there and there was a healthy assortment of things to entertain himself with, both openly and no-so-openly.

He uttered an enormous yawn. Force he was hungry. He hadn't eaten anything in five hours, after Obi-Wan insisted on a four hour training session. They had sparred, they had exercised, and they would have gotten in some shared meditation, had Anakin not insisted that enough was enough. He was in top physical condition – there was no need to waste the whole day training. Too bad Obi-Wan was not. Anakin swore he heard the old man's bones creak after the third hour. But maybe it was just him.

The rest of his time was spent cleaning up. He had showered at the Temple, not wanting to go outside covered in buckets of sweat. Usually he avoided showering at the Temple. Despite the ban on attachments, he had more than his share of admirers there, most of them female. They were mildly attracted to him and relished the opportunity to catch some glimpses of him. After all, there was no harm in looking, right?

Not unless you happened to _be_ the target of their ogling. The locker rooms were supposed to be private, but several women still found ways of spying on him. Actually, they spied on Obi-Wan too, but somehow Anakin got the bigger attention as the Chosen One of the place, in more ways than one. It was funny. People usually thought of the Jedi as being very strict and prudish, unable to have fun if it bit them in the rear. The truth was that mostly applied to the Masters and Council members. The Knights and Padawans couldn't care less sometimes about maintaining decorum in their hallowed Temple walls. After all, nobody was going to see them doing some rule breaking besides other Jedi.

Just today he had found Serra Keto lurking outside the locker room. She gave him a knowing smile upon him exiting the lockers, which sent shivers down his whole body. Serra wasn't attracted to him, but she wasn't above acknowledging Anakin as a very handsome man. She was also very impish, loving to play pranks on him, and she knew it annoyed him when she stared at him like a piece of shaak meat.

Well…maybe 'annoy' wasn't the right word. More like 'unsettled'. The last person he wanted attracted to him was Serra, since it would ruin their otherwise comfortable friendship. At any rate, the smirk on her face was very mischievous, which left no doubt in Anakin's mind as to what she had been up to. He quickly got out of there before she had a chance to tease him in a not-so-innocent way.

He headed towards the fridge. One of the benefits of having an apartment under Temple control was that it was carefully looked after in his absence. The same went for all the other residences given to the Order by the Republic. It was standard policy to keep them ready to be occupied at the drop of a hat. When word arrived that a Jedi was returning home, the Council made sure to have that Jedi's living quarters stocked with the appropriate supplies. That meant food was readily available. And not just any food, but food tailored to that Knight or Master's specifications.

A good thing too, because he didn't have the energy to go shopping right now. He opened the door expecting to grab the first thing he saw, and instead received the shock of his life.

The fridge was empty.

Anakin took a step back, mouth open in shock. This…this couldn't be! The Temple gofers had never forgotten to stock the fridge before, ever! What the hell happened?

A sudden noise caught his attention. The Jedi swirled back, startled by the swift disruption. The noise had come from the refresher. Anakin furrowed his brow. Was there someone in there? But that was impossible. He would have sensed if he was not alone in the apartment.

Something strange was going on. Quietly Anakin crept towards the bathroom. He kept his hands on guard, ready to use the Force if necessary. Without so much as a hint of sound, he slowly reached for the doorknob. Taking a moment to ready himself, he took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

The small area that served as the refresher looked, for the most part, normal. Everything was in its place. The shower was turned off, the toilet lid was down, and nothing was missing or broken. Everything seemed fine, except for one minor detail that was suddenly a new sight in this very familiar place.

There was an eye coming out of the sink. But not just any eye. This eye was red with a black iris, and twice the size of Anakin's hand. It was growing on an eyestalk protruding from the drain. The dark reddish orange flesh was as thick as Anakin's arm, and seemed to waver slightly from side to side, maintaining its position in an almost hypnotic trance.

Anakin blinked. He blinked several times more. The eye was still there. He closed his eyes hard and rubbed them, wondering if this was all some sort of weird dream. But when he opened them once more, he was still faced with something out of a holovid. The eye stared unflinchingly in its gaze. It never blinked or wavered in its stance. And as the sudden realization dawned on him, the Jedi Knight was forced to concede that this was no dream. It was real.

There were only three words to describe this situation.

"What…the…hell…?" Anakin muttered, staring dumbstruck at the being.

For a while he simply stared at it. This couldn't be happening. He had been through a lot of weird stuff in his life, but never had he seen anything quite like this. The eye simply stared back, never saying a word. How could it? It was an _eye_! Finally curiosity got the better of him. He slowly inched closer to the stalk, not daring to make any sudden moves in the case the thing reacted rashly.

Another person might have fled the place in terror. But if there was one thing Anakin was above all, it was curious.

"Strange. I don't remember this feature being in the brochure," he muttered to himself, trying to lighten the atmosphere. There was an almost physical tension in the air, though he didn't know if it was coming from the eye or primarily from himself. It was as though the entire universe was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

He circled the eye as much as he could in the small refresher. It didn't seem dangerous, but appearances could be deceiving. He tried to get a look at the drain, curious as to just how far down this thing went. He couldn't help the rush of bewilderment creeping at his senses. Where was this thing coming from? It looked like a dianoga, but there was no possible way a dianoga could fit into the plumbing of the apartment. And how was it able to squeeze through the small hole of the drain?

Despite his caution, he felt the urge to touch it. If he grabbed it and started pulling, maybe he would find out the answer to this. What was it going to do – hit him with a blink?

Confident that it was harmless, Anakin reached for the eye.

The reaction could not have been more instant. The eyestalk violently drew back, responding with a hiss that sounded like a ferocious feline. It trembled with a visible effect, and somehow Anakin knew that he had angered it. He felt a tremor of fear despite himself.

That fear only increased when the display worsened. The eye became more concentrated in its quaking, quivering with rage. Its cry deepened until it was almost a growl; Anakin had the sudden notion that it would burst through the sink to attack him. He reached for the weapon on his belt…and remembered that he had left it back on the sofa.

He rushed back towards the living room. He could have called it to him via the Force, but this gave him a chance to get away from that _thing_, even for an instant. Back in the bathroom, the eye was shrieking with malevolent intent, daring him to assault it. This was one challenge Anakin wasn't going to decline.

Storming into the bathroom, Anakin knew what he had to do. With a cry of war, he swung the lightsaber at his enemy. The eye and its stalk parted ways as the eye fell lifelessly to the floor, dripping blood from the foot-long stump where Anakin had cut. The rest of the stalk continued to move on its own, wavering from side to side like a serpentine slither gone mad. It smashed against the mirror, pumping blood like a bizarre crimson fountain, before finally withdrawing into the sink as quickly as it came.

Anakin waited with his saber at the ready, just in case this wasn't quite over. But when no further attack came from the drain, he felt safe to switch off his lightsaber. He looked down at the floor, now stained with blood from the eye's reddish orange stump. Bending down he examine the body part curiously. He prodded it with his boot, just in case the thing was still alive. But there was no movement.

Anakin stood up feeling more confused than ever. What the hell was this thing? And how did it go back into the sink? Shouldn't it have collapsed over the side if it truly was dead? He knew little about dianoga physiology, but there was no possible way one could survive without its 'head', right? Unless its brain was in another location…

His curiosity about the circumstances faded as he realized the mess with creature had made. Man, now he had to clean this up. He grumbled to himself as he set to work, carefully avoiding the organ lying on the floor. He could get that later.

It was only a few minutes before his stomach rumbled, alerting him that he still had to eat something. Looking at the daunting task that awaited him in the refresher, Anakin made a decision.

"Guess I better order something," he muttered to himself. He could deal with…_this_ later, once he'd had a chance to get some of his sanity back. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Not that he was afraid or anything…it was for security purposes, he reasoned. Yeah, security purposes. That, and to keep away the smell.

Some time after he had left, an ominous gurgle emanated from the drain.


	3. Day Two: The Missing Pizza

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, The Moving Finger belongs to Stephen King, blah blah blah.

AN: If some of you are confused by the change in the summary, it's because of a certain page on Live Journal. My story ended up there on a section called "Summary Executions", where fics are judged to be worthless based on their summaries. But don't worry, I have no intentions of ceasing my work on this fic. And if a certain person on LJ thinks they're getting away with this insult, then they're sadly mistaken. Oh no, I have something special planned for them in chapter 5. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

I'll also post the original summary at the beginning of each chapter, because hey, it's my fic and I can do whatever the heck I want. ;)

Summary: Parody of the Stephen King story, "The Moving Finger". On a break from the war, Anakin faces his greatest opponent yet: a mutant eyestalk that rises from the drain of his bathroom.

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**Part 3: Day Two – The Missing Pizza**

**_Two days ago…_**

It was the third day of the week. Morning had come and gone, not quickly enough for Anakin's taste. It wasn't that he didn't like spending time at the Temple…well, okay it was. Was it him or was Obi-Wan becoming more intense with his training sessions? Perhaps Obi-Wan was still angry about the couch. It wouldn't be unlike his Master, to hold a grudge over something so petty. Obi-Wan could be very childish when he wanted to be.

Either that or he was upset at falling into an open sewer on their last mission. Anakin supposed he should be sorry for letting his Master fall, but what choice did he have? It was either that or risk getting eaten by a giant worm. He knew he couldn't take such a creature one-handed. The sewer wasn't so bad. Besides, it was Obi-Wan's fault for going over the ledge in the first place.

Whatever the reason, this was one of the most arduous sessions he'd had in a long time. He'd trained until he felt like his feet were going to fall off. And now he was back his apartment. No shower this time. After that ordeal yesterday, he wasn't up to being watched. The mere thought of it gave him the willies.

The incident from the day prior was still fresh in his mind. Whoever heard of an eyeball coming out of the drain? It was insane! And yet, the state of his refresher was afterwards was proof enough that it happened. He'd spent an hour cleaning up after that thing. The stench was terrible by the time he got back into the 'fresher; like something crawled out of the sewer. Which come to think of it, was probably what happened.

He'd already decided it was a dianoga. That had to be it. A dianoga, probably a small one, had crawled up into a pipe somewhere on one of Coruscant's lower levels. The creatures were not unheard on this planet. Just a couple years back, there was an infestation of them near one of Coruscant's commercial districts, after an incident with a misfiring garbage launcher. Who knew? Maybe this intruder was even descended from one of those creatures.

At any rate, it must have been mobile for quite some time. It had worked its way through the system, moving into the upper levels until it found a niche where it was comfortable. It grew and grew in length, perhaps getting stuck inside the piping route at one point. Trapped with no way out, it continued its journey through the plumbing until finally it emerged from the drain of Anakin's bathroom. Dianogas were squid-like in morphology – they could probably fit into almost anywhere. And their eyestalks certainly grew large enough to reach through the sink from several meters down. He was still puzzled as to why it chose his particular sink to make its appearance from, but oh well. Next time he'd try sending it to Obi-Wan's apartment.

He really hoped there wasn't a next time. He'd remembered shortly afterwards that cephalopods from Nar Shadaa had a decentralized nervous system. It was a curious quirk of their anatomy that had baffled scientists for ages, but it was a very useful feature on the Smugglers' Moon, the dianogas' place of origin. Not only that, but the largest part of their 'brain', if it could be called that, was not located in the eyestalk. Meaning that chopping off the thing might not have necessarily killed it.

Even so, Anakin was certain it was dead. The blood loss would have been too much for it to survive. And if it wasn't, it had probably moved on by now, wandering around blindly in the plumbing. Of course, that was just a hypothetical situation. The creature as dead and that was that.

It had taken another hour for the smell to dissipate. He had levitated the eye out of the bathroom and into a bag. No way was he touching a severed head. Afterwards he'd tossed it in the incinerator without a second thought. This was one victory he didn't want a memento from.

Things weren't quite back to normal yet. He still felt a little strange about the whole incident. It would probably be a while before he felt as safe and secure in this place as he had before. But at least things were looking up today.

He wasn't alone – Serra had followed him home. The other Knight had an apartment nearby; in an adjacent building, in fact. All Jedi living outside the Temple were within speeder distance of each other. The apartments were dotted around Coruscant in various buildings, all within close proximity to the Senate and the Jedi Temple. It was for security reasons. The theory was that in case of an emergency, like a Separatist attack on the capital, the Jedi would sustain far less casualties if they were spread over a large area, rather than centered in one single attack point.

He had seen Serra's apartment a while back, and it was actually somewhat nicer than his own. But for some reason beyond Anakin's understanding, she preferred to spend her time at his place instead.

It wasn't often that they got to spend some time together. Like Anakin, Serra was rarely on the capital. On the rare occasion when they were both on Coruscant, he was usually busy making the most of the opportunity to see his angel. However, Serra was a good friend and he knew it was important that he make the time to hang with her.

Surprisingly his angel was receptive to the idea. He remembered when he told Padme about Serra wanting to spend time with him, at his place. He had expected her to be instantly repelled by the idea. Instead, Padme had told him it was all right. She didn't expect him to spend every waking hour with him. Anakin was surprised, but he wasn't about to question such an easy victory.

_"It's okay. I trust you, Ani,"_ she had told him. Feeling a little bemused, he merely nodded back and smiled, telling her that he loved her. Padme just gave a slight smile back in response. And yet, he couldn't help but notice the frown she gave him afterwards, as if she expected him to affirm that Serra wasn't a threat to them.

It was only afterwards that the oddness of her statement struck him. Why would she need to say she "trusted him" like that? It almost sounded like a test, to see how he responded. He was confused by that. Serra was a woman, but she was also a Jedi, and a dedicated one to boot. The chances of her wanting to try something with him were close to nothing. She was just a friend.

Not wanting to press the issue, Anakin dismissed it as the usual workings of the female mind. _Women,_ he'd thought sourly. He would never understand them. They made everything so complicated.

"You have anything to eat? I'm starving," a female voice cut into his thoughts.

"Didn't you eat at the refectory?" Anakin asked her.

Serra gave him a look that told him plainly he was crazy. "You'd have to be a madman to eat at the refectory. All those kids around…and the food's terrible sometimes. I'd rather live on Master Yoda's gruel." She shuddered.

"I thought you liked kids?"

"I do. But after five hours of training with the Troll, I'd rather not have them crowded around me begging me for stories," Serra defended herself.

"The Troll" was Cin Drallig, Serra's former Master and resident sword master of the Jedi Temple. The man was a stubborn, work obsessed driven bastard, and those were his good points. Anakin had thought Obi-Wan was a hard Master, back when he first started learning under him. And then he met Drallig. He had never looked at Obi-Wan the same way again.

Perhaps that was why he'd inspired a Padawan as rebellious as Serra. Although she wasn't quite up to Anakin's skills with a lightsaber, she was his equal in almost every way when it came to pissing off the Council. She was also a little arrogant, though not to the level her old Master was.

Drallig was confident that he could defeat Anakin in a one on one duel. Quite easily, in fact. Naturally that did not sit well with the Chosen One. Neither did it meet with Obi-Wan's approval. Obi-Wan was certain the Troll wouldn't last a minute against Mace, never mind his prized Padawan. And yet, Drallig continued his boasting, becoming famous for stating he could beat anyone in the Temple, including Anakin. Finally, the Skywalker-Kenobi team had enough. They would show everyone that there was nothing more than air to Cin Drallig's claim.

That theory proved correct. When Anakin challenged him to a duel, the lightsaber instructor was immediately taken aback. Anakin had marched right up to him during a fencing class and challenged him to a sparring session, with Obi-Wan standing behind him giving the Troll his most intimidating look. Drallig immediately dismissed his students and focused instead on calming the Chosen One. But Anakin was in a predatory mood, and his countenance made it clear that this would be no ordinary sparring session. Despite his infamous bluster, the old man was incredibly reluctant to take on Anakin's challenge. Finally, Drallig made some excuse about having an urgent matter to attend to, and that a sparring session would have to wait until later.

They'd been waiting for a year, and still there was no sign of the Troll taking up Anakin on his offer. Drallig had quickly left the sparring room that day, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan alone to revel in their victory. It wasn't long before they started laughing at the incident. When Serra heard about what happened, she'd spent a full minute laughing her head off at her old teacher's reluctance to challenge her friend. Make no mistake, they respected Cin Drallig as an instructor, but he was not the god some of the Padawans made him out to be, and this event proved it. Otherwise, why would he scurry out of the room like a womp rat with its tail on fire?

"There's some leftover pizza if you're interested," Anakin remarked to Serra. He didn't mention that was all there was in the fridge, besides some beverages.

"Sure. I'll set it up. You can take a shower while it's heating up," Serra replied.

Anakin winced at the not-so-subtle suggestion on her part. He had neglected to take a shower at the Temple, which made for a rather uncomfortable ride over here.

He headed for the fridge. He had ordered some pizza yesterday shortly after dealing with his uninvited guest. If that thing had in fact eaten all the food, as he suspected, then it wouldn't do to inform the Council he needed more supplies. They would start to wonder, and that could lead to certain things he didn't want exposed. And he didn't want to go raid Padme's fridge over at her place. Not yet, anyway.

There were few things Anakin loved more than pizza. The Corellian specialty was one of the most beloved foods in the galaxy, loved by almost everyone. Not Obi-Wan, though. At the start of his training, Anakin had been shocked to realize his Master hated the Corellian dish. Still, that didn't lessen his appreciation for it. Anakin eventually convinced Obi-Wan to let him have some on occasion, and he had been addicted to it ever since. It was by far one of his favorite meals next to shaak steak, despite Obi-Wan considering the dish a "greasy substitute for real culinary endeavors."

After eating one entirely over the course of the day, he had saved a few slices from the other. He opened the fridge expecting to see that familiar and comforting piece of heaven, and was instead shocked out of his wits for the second time that week.

The fridge was empty again.

Anakin gasped in astonishment. The pizza was gone, as were the beverages he had ordered with it. All that remained was the remnants of the foil he had used to wrap the frozen slices. What the hell happened?

Someone had raided his fridge and stolen what was left of his food supply while he was away. But the only ones who had access to his apartment were Obi-Wan and the Council members, and his angel who was away. Which meant…

_Oh no…_Anakin thought in fear, as the realization began to dawn on him. Obi-Wan hadn't been there and neither had the Council members. And Padme was still on Naboo. Which left only one disturbing possibility…

He slowly glanced back towards the refresher. Everything looked normal from the outside. It couldn't be, he thought. It couldn't! But what other explanation was there?

"Anakin?" Serra's voice called to him. "Is everything all right?"

He quickly gathered his thoughts. Whatever the reason, the food was gone. That was what he had to focus on.

"Sorry Serra. Looks like I ate all the pizza. Must have been last night," Anakin said, shaking his head to make it look like he was tired. He sighed. "I honestly thought I had some."

Serra groaned to herself. "Why am I not surprised?" She looked inside the fridge

and turned to Anakin in bewilderment. "What happened to your food supply?"

"You don't want to know," Anakin said, giving her a cheesy smile. He really hoped she didn't push the matter further.

"You're right, I probably don't," Serra stated, wondering what kind of mess Anakin had gotten himself into this time. "Order some more then?"

"Yeah. I'll go wash up," Anakin said, going to take the much-needed shower. When he emerged, Serra had already ordered two pizzas from their favorite shop.

He heard her turn on the holovid while he changed into something more casual.

"Oh look, Stories from the Void is on."

Anakin groaned to himself. A horror show…just what he needed at the moment. Still, he kept his mouth shut. Serra wouldn't understand the reason for the fear that had suddenly taken hold of him. He took a seat on the couch, determined to keep his mind off the paranoid thoughts. It was a fruitless endeavor. No matter how he tried, he kept circling back to the same bizarre image of the eye protruding from the sink. It wasn't possible, he told himself. That thing was _dead_. It had to be! The blood loss from that injury would have done anyone in. It couldn't be roaming around under his apartment!

He settled back slightly as the creepy opening narration started. He was imagining things. Maybe he was wrong; maybe Obi-Wan did pay a visit to his apartment. It was the only possible thing that made sense. Besides, if there were such an intruder in the apartment, how would it even know to go for the food if it couldn't see where it was going? That convinced him more than anything. It was just his imagination. There were no headless squids running around in the building.

So why did he feel like he was being watched?

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_Read and review. Or I'll sic the Eye on you._


	4. Midnight: The Nightmare Continues

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. "The Moving Finger" belongs to Stephen King. I'm not sure who the show "Monsters" belongs to, but it sure as hell isn't me.

AN: As promised, here is the long awaited update to the story. It sure took longer than expected, what with the distractions and all. On the other hand, that has resulted in what is the longest chapter in the story yet. This isn't the only update waiting for you either. "Twilight" is next!

This is where the story begins to move away from the premise of the original tale. Inspiration can only take you so far, and I've always planned to have this story be more than just a slight parody of a peculiar horror story. It has its own twists and turns, and it'll move in a direction that I'm sure Stephen King never thought to move with his finger. ;D

I must warn you, the chapter is a little racy. There's some suggestive language and a couple of the scenes have definite sensual overtones to them. I don't think it requires an M rating, since there's nothing explicit. However, I'm still warning you just to be on the safe side. If you feel any differently, tell me in a review and I may consider changing the rating. I think it would be unnecessary though, as this is the only chapter in which such content will appear.

Hope you enjoy!

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**Part 4 – Midnight: The Nightmare Continues**

It was half past midnight. _Stories from the Void had _ended hours ago, and Anakin and Serra had gone to bed soon afterwards. There was no further hint of anything unusual after the fridge discovery. Indeed, a quiet stillness had taken hold in the apartment, as usual for countless homes across the galaxy at this time. In short, everything, was as it should be.

Except for one thing.

Anakin couldn't sleep. He had been lying in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep despite feeling weary to the bone. Force, he was exhausted.He hated it when that happened, and nowadays it happened far too often for his taste. The war wasn't exactly conducive to a good night's sleep.

Serra was in bed next to him. The female Knight was deep in slumber. Unlike Skywalker, she had fallen out of it almost immediately. Anakin supposed he should have slept on the couch and left her the bed all to herself. After all, he was a happily married man. But then, Padme trusted him, or so she said. It helped that Serra wasn't even interested in him. Besides, they were both mature adults. There was no reason for one of them to be relegated to the sofa at this hour. At least, that's what he told himself.

The truth was he was afraid to sleep on the couch. The sofa was out on the living room, away from the sanctuary of the bedroom and close to the bathroom…far too close for Anakin's comfort. It wasn't the room itself that was the problem. It was the thought of what was lurking there that worried him.

The Eye was watching him. Anakin wasn't sure how he'd come to think of the thing in his 'fresher as an all-surveying entity, but it certainly fit that description in the physical sense. The odd thing was he wasn't even sure how he knew. There was certainly no indication of an intruder beside the missing food. And yet, he could not help but feel that there was something dark and alien in his apartment. Even through the door separating him from the living area, he felt the heat of its glare piercing into his consciousness. It was like a presence that had pervaded the entire apartment, waiting to ensnare him in its trap. And yet, he sensed nothing. There was no tangible sense of the intruder, just the vague feeling of being observed that was remarkably unsettling, and Anakin had to admit, more than a tad creepy.

At least the bedroom offered some protection. He doubted the Eye could open doors, no matter how omniscient it was. And if it came to a fight, the bedroom would be the best place to take a stand. The space was a dead end and there was little room to maneuver, which would allow Anakin to throw everything he had at the beast full on.

Anakin shook his head. The enemy hadn't shown its face yet and here he was already thinking of a fight. Was he being paranoid? Perhaps it was all just a coincidence. Perhaps someone from the Temple staff had been at his apartment, and for one reason or another, taken his leftover food, hoping he wouldn't come back and notice it gone.

Another shake of the head. No, he didn't believe that, anymore that he believed Obi-Wan would give up his three drinks a night minimum while he was on Coruscant.

Perhaps he was being paranoid. Or perhaps he wasn't. Either way, Anakin was sure he wouldn't be getting any rest tonight.

It hadn't helped that after _Stories from the Void_ ended, he and Serra caught an episode of _Creatures_, a show notorious for some of the most disturbing, most horrible creations ever in galactic media. He was an experienced Jedi Knight, and yet the show still frightened him at times. Anakin was half-convinced the writers of that show were Sith Lords in training. No ordinary people could come up with such monstrosities.

Force, that was a lot of perhaps. No wonder he couldn't sleep, he thought. He recalled what Obi-Wan said about clearing his mind. Of course, his Master was usually half-drunk when he said that, but it was worth a shot. For a while he lay still with his eyes closed, trying in vain to think of anything but the mystery lurking in his 'fresher.

Eventually the exhaustion overtook him. By some miracle he managed to drift off into a nice, well needed slumber.

* * *

_Anakin was having a very nice dream._

"_Oh Ani. Oh, you're so handsome as always," Padme purred. _

_The beautiful love of Anakin's life was kneeling over him, looking as sexy as Anakin had ever seen her. His angel had straddled his hips, resting her hands on his chest. Gone was her usual shyness that she displayed in front of others, outside of work. There was no hesitation in this scenario: she was all vixen and burning sensuality. _

"_Padme…" Anakin moaned, already feeling his breath quicken. He cupped the sides of Padme's waist, slowly gliding his hands up and down. Padme lowered herself over him as she captured his lips in a kiss. The lovers moaned as their lips played over each other, tongues caressing and mingling with wanton affection. Anakin's hands roamed down her sides to cup the bare skin of Padme's ass. He held the incredibly smooth flesh firmly, guiding her hips closer against him. _

_Anakin took a hard breath. He was already hard and all they had done was kiss. Padme's crotch felt deliciously warm against him, serving only to strengthen his rapidly growing arousal. _

_Padme pulled back from his arms, staring hungrily into her lover's eyes. _

"_I've missed you so much," she said. Her hands moved across Anakin's chest, caressing, massaging his pectorals through his tunic. They slid down his abs, taking in the firmness of his stomach muscles. Her touch was light and playful, yet sensual and stimulating, as only Padme could be. It was an erotic massage as exciting as anything Anakin had experienced. He knew where this heading. Padme gave him a devious grin, like he was a little boy about to be rewarded for being good. _

_She slinked down Anakin's body, hands continuing to caress him as she did. Padme was wearing a low-cut negligee that left little to the imagination. The skimpy outfit swayed with her every movement, offering some tantalizing glimpses. Bent down as she was, Anakin could see down her front a full view of her cleavage, breasts barely restrained in the material, the nipples erect from lust. _

_Briefly he recalled Serra had been in the bed next to him. He looked to the side, but the right side of the bed was empty. It was just him and Padme now. A wicked grin came to his lips, one that his angel eagerly returned. _

_Padme grinned as she hovered over his groin. She knew he was aroused – she could see the bulge sticking out plainly in his sleep pants. Her hands had trained past his abdomen, massaging the skin of his rock-hard stomach. Now they settled over a hardness of a different kind. Her hands skimmed over his hardened organ and then over his balls, groping and kneading the aroused flesh. Anakin groaned as his hardness strained against her hand, longing to break free from its confinement._

Anakin's eyes popped open.

The world around him had changed. The room was still the same, but it had lost its ethereal dream-like quality. And yet…

Somebody was still touching him.

Anakin stretched out his with senses, trying to determine the identity of the person fondling him. But his angel's presence was missing from the area, as it had been for the past few days. _Oh gods, let it be Serra_, he thought, hoping for once that Serra was interested in him and trying something funny.

It wasn't Padme. Neither was it the woman next to him.

Anakin looked down slowly, almost afraid of what he'd see. And when he saw just what it was that was touching him, he gave a strangled cry of horror.

The Eye was looming over him. Somehow it had expanded and now resembled a blinking oval of death. Looking at the eyestalk, Anakin realized that was extending at least 50 feet from the refresher in the common room. Somehow it had penetrated through the door.

Anakin moved to Force push the creature away. Suddenly, a lightning fast tentacle grabbed a hold of his hand. It wound itself around his wrist, squeezing down with an iron grip. The Jedi fought desperately against his aggressor, and he felt an increasing panic as he realized that this was what had been touching him, gliding over his hips. Not the hand of a beautiful woman, but the limb of something that had literally crawled out of the sewer.

Like the eyestalk, the tentacle extended at least four dozen feet into the living room. Anakin struggled to free himself from the thing. Out of the blue, another tentacle rushed out from beside the bed and bound his left arm to the top of the mattress.

Skywalker pulled savagely at the tentacles. But the hideous organic restraints would not budge. The Eye roamed over his unrestrained form, somehow managing to cover the entirety of him without moving so much as an inch. Anakin could feel its gaze pass over his body, taking in its details as one would a meal you're about to devour.

And then, a slim dark colored form rose from beside the bed – another tentacle, this one just as repulsive as the others. Anakin's eyes widened as the tip bloomed open like a flower. Only it was not a set of petals that greeted the Jedi's sight. It was a miniature assortment of razor sharp teeth. The tentacle hovered over Anakin's hips, dripping rancid saliva onto its prey. Stopping at a point below his waist, the worst place it could have chosen, the monster emitted a low noise that almost sounded like a growl. Anakin squirmed on the bed, breath held in from the tension of the moment. The Eye waited, staring at him with that unblinking gaze of its, holding its tiny, horrid mouth over his crotch.

And then it bit down.

* * *

Anakin screamed as he was torn from his nightmare. He didn't realize he was awake, didn't see the woman next to him. All he saw was the horrid little mouth pouncing down on his flesh. That, and the heated glare of the Eye, staring him down with a smoldering blood lust. 

"Anakin! Anakin, you're having a bad dream."

"Serra?"

Serra had been shaking Anakin's shoulder, trying to snap him out of his terrified trance. She had awoken with a start herself. When she heard her bedmate for the night screaming, she almost thought they were under attack.

Anakin focused on the brunette's face, as if determining that she was real and not a hallucination. For a long moment he said nothing. Finally he seemed to realize that he was awake.

"Serra?"

"You were having a bad dream," the other assured him.

Anakin swiped his hands over his face, past his hair. He noticed that it was matted with moisture, and so were his shoulders, now that he thought about it. In fact, he felt the drops of moisture sliding all over his body. Whatever the hell that was, it had caused him to break out in a cold sweat. "Gods, it seemed so real," he muttered.

Serra wanted to be supportive. But being woken up at three in the morning was not conducive to kindness or understanding. Much as she wanted sympathy, she found that she could barely keep her eyes open. So rather than say something she might regret, she chose to simply roll over and try to go back to sleep, giving a tired sigh as she did.

"Go back to bed."

Anakin looked incredulously at the female Jedi. No attempt to comfort him, no effort to find out what was going on. Merely a cold statement to go back to sleep, like he were a child in need of ordering.

He sighed. Yet another reminder Serra wasn't Padme. Padme would have asked what was troubling him. She would hold him and tell him everything would be all right, that not every nightmare was a vision of someone in danger. That dreams were just that and they couldn't hurt either of them unless he let them. Serra…Serra just didn't care. He thought about hitting her with the pillow, but that would just get him a kick in a very sensitive place.

Besides, it was unbecoming of a Jedi, and he was not going to prove his old Master right by sinking to such immaturity. Not yet, anyway.

Anakin lay back down on his side of the bed. He resisted the urge to snuggle close to her, knowing it would be interpreted as something different. Serra may not be interested in him, but the last thing he needed was to encourage her by making it seem as if he had a thing for her.

Clutching his sheets tightly, he settled back to sleep, and tried to forget the image of the eye glaring down at him, moving to pounce with its revoltingly putrid mouth.

* * *

The sun was already up by the time Anakin woke up that morning. Because his bedroom window was so large, it streamed in rays of light that bypassed the shades, forcing him to hold up an arm to shield himself from the initial blast. 

Anakin rubbed his eyes tiredly. He felt like he hadn't slept a wink. He had drifted in and out of consciousness, never settling into deep sleep, fearful of what would happen if he closed his eyes for too long. Or worse, if he left Serra unattended. She was in the dark about what was going on, for obvious reasons. There was no way he could tell her. She wouldn't believe him, and she might no doubt think he was crazy.

He was met by the sight of a distinctly feminine body bending down in front of him, at the foot of the bed. The person was dressed in a set of dark brown Jedi tunics and pants. Anakin was taken aback until he realized it was Serra. Gods his brain was foggy, he thought as he shook his head absentmindedly.

"Oh, you're up," Serra remarked while pulling up her pants legs from her boots. Personally, Anakin hated wearing his trousers in his boots. It felt so restrictive! But alas, that was the Jedi style. Actually that was everybody's style nowadays, come to think of it.

And he had to admit, it looked astoundingly cool.

Anakin yawned as he stretched his arms. Force he was tired. He had spent the entire night trying to pretend that it was Padme lying next to him, and not a Jedi who irritated him as much as she amused him. It wasn't easy. Serra was slightly more endowed in certain places, and her black hair looked nothing like Padme's chestnut curls. Idly he wondered if that applied to another part as well. And then there was that other little detail nagging him in all this. Every time he closed his eyes, he was assaulted with images of the Eye biting down at his body with its horrid mouth.

Oh well. He would just have to tell Obi-Wan he wasn't going in today. He didn't have the energy for dueling.

Checking to see that he still had his sleep pants on (no way was Serra seeing his underwear), he carefully climbed out of bed. He grabbed a set of tunics and trousers out of the closet, his usual Jedi outfit. Afterwards, he went to proceed with his morning routine. It was then he realized there was a problem.

A violent shudder wracked his body at the thought of what was waiting for him in the fresher. No, going in there was not an option, as long as he could avoid it. He couldn't go into the fresher to change. On the other hand, he didn't want Serra to get any more peeks than she'd already had. Anakin thought it over for a moment. Serra or monster? Serra or monster? Finally, he decided to just change right there in the room. Uncomfortable though it might be, Serra being in the room was better than getting mauled by some mutant octuple-armed cephalopod. Against his own pride and concerned, Anakin's hands went to the waist of his sleep pants.

"Aren't you going to shower?" Serra asked, noticing he was standing still at the closet.

The blond Jedi jerked instinctively at her voice. "I'll do it later," Anakin shrugged. "I want to get something to eat first."

The unspoken question lingered in the air, "are you going to change in here?" Serra decided to go another route. "What about your teeth?"

"Eh, I'll get to it in a little while."

"O-kay," Serra remarked, noticeably confused, though she chose not to comment.

If for whatever reason, Anakin wanted to get dressed in here, then that was his choice. It was his bedroom, after all.

Anakin hesitated. "You're not going to watch, are you?"

"No, of course not," Serra replied quickly. She turned to face away from him as she went back to adjusting her boots.

Anakin went about the business of changing out of his sleep pants into his usual Jedi garments. He tried not to be undressed too long, not wanting to give his _friend_ any unnecessary chances for staring. At the same time, he tried not to rush the process too much, not wanting to make it seem like he was completely embarrassed by the situation. All the same, he was sure Serra got in a few glances at his nearly naked form. Anakin turned to his dark haired companion, the sides of his face flushed red with discomfiture.

"Finished?" Serra asked coyly.

"Yeah," Anakin answered shortly. Anything more was grounds for making a fool of himself, as if he hadn't done that already.

Fortunately he was spared from further reply when Serra deemed it fit to speak.

"Anakin?"

"Yeah?"

The Jedi looked down at her feet. "About last night, I'm sorry about what happened. I should have been more sympathetic about your dream," Serra admitted.

"It's all right," Anakin said stiffly. The truth was he was looking forward to Serra leaving. Hanging out with a friend was nice and all, but he missed Padme's warmth and sensitivity. Serra wasn't any of those things. As cold as it sounded to say, he wanted her gone.

Serra sighed. "Look, I'm no Padme, but if there's anything you want to talk about, anything at all…I'm here for you.

Anakin's eyes took on a panicked note. "You know about her?"

Serra rolled her eyes at his obtuseness. Everyone knows about her, Anakin. Just because the Council does not deem to tell us certain things doesn't mean we don't find out about them anyway."

"Serra…" Anakin began, hoping to explain that Amidala was just a friend, and the rumors in the HoloNet weren't true. But Serra cut him off.

"It's okay, Anakin. I think it's nice you two are friends. It must be great to have someone outside the Temple you can turn to, who isn't bound by those stupid rules. And if she's more than a friend," Serra suggested, "well then, I'm happy for that too."

She almost laughed at the incredulous look on Anakin's face. "Are you serious?" his boyish features seemed to scream.

"I don't agree with that outdated rule. It wasn't even in effect until a thousand years ago. What did everyone do before that? They got married and had kids! It's only in the past 1,000 years that that's been disallowed. The previous Jedi all did fine without that stupid nonsense. Why should we have to suffer just because a few idiots turned to the dark side?"

Anakin gave a small smile, a genuine one that lit up his face despite its subtleness. "Thanks Serra."

Serra smiled in return. They didn't say anything further after that; there was no need. They stayed like that for a while, staring at each other in mutual admiration. The moment was broken when Serra suddenly started to squirm.

"There's something off about these pants," she said, shifting from toe to toe. She turned away from the taller Jedi.

"They're _your_ pants," Anakin commented, looking confused.

"I know that!" the other exclaimed. Serra reached for her boot, tugging on the thin brown trousers underneath.

"Uh, they're so itchy," she remarked. It was an annoying sensation that spread through her body, until it was literally driving her crazy with its relentlessness.

"I have to get out of these," Serra suddenly declared, pulling off her boots and kicking them aside. Anakin was about to ask her if there was anything he could do to help. But before he could get a word in edgewise, his companion did the unexpected. Serra pulled down on her trousers.

Anakin was frozen in time as he caught sight of Serra's lower body. It wasn't necessarily that she was changing in front of him, as Jedi were prone to do. It wasn't even the fact that she had taken off her pants. It was the fact that she was not wearing any undergarments.

Serra slipped out of the dark brown garments and casually flung them aside, as though she were not standing half-naked in Anakin's living room. The other tried to tear his eyes away from the sight. Yet try as he might, he could not help but stare at those enticingly feminine curves. He hadn't seen anyone's naked…well, end except for Padme's – not unless he counted Obi-Wan's on the times when they had shower together on some distant world. And then Serra took off her tunic, sliding it over her head along with her undershirts.

If Anakin was flabbergasted before, he was absolutely petrified now. The sight of Serra's perfectly smooth back had his heart racing in his chest. He tried not to focus on one thing or another by keeping his eyes focused squarely above her neck. He didn't want to seem like a pervert, but what else was he supposed to do? As if that weren't enough, Serra chose that moment to turn. Anakin quickly averted his eyes, though not before he caught a glimpse of two exquisitely perfect breasts.

"Can I borrow some of your robes?"

"Yeah, sure," Anakin replied, shielding his eyes with his prosthetic hand. Serra walked over to the closet. He heard the sounds of clothes shuffling and moving about, presumably Serra getting dressed. Anakin wanted to get out of the room, though he dare not look up from the ground until he was sure his companion was dressed. Finally he saw the hints of boots toped by dark brown pants, signifying that it was safe to look up.

The brunette laughed at his dramatics. "Oh, please. It's nothing you haven't seen

before."

Anakin shook his head in bewilderment. "How did you ever make it to Knighthood?"

Serra shrugged. "I think all those hand jobs I gave Cin Drallig might have helped," she commented casually.

Anakin stared at her, causing the Jedi to hold up her hands in protest.

"I'm kidding!" Serra laughed, though the look on her face made Anakin wonder whether she really was kidding.

"I've gotta run. Meet you back at the Temple. Thanks for the robes," the brunette said as she rushed out of the bedroom.

For a while Anakin stared at the door through which she departed. Why did he hang out with this person? He thought in boundless bemusement, attempting to process the weirdness of this last encounter. He could almost hear Obi-Wan's voice in his head.

_"Why are you friends with this woman?" his Master asked in a mystified voice. _

_"Master, she's a good person," Anakin retorted. _

_"Anakin, she's…bizarre, and rebellious. She never listens to the Council and she's always doing her own thing." Obi-Wan shook his head. "She's two shuuras short of a martini if you ask me."_

He shook away the memory of his Master's ceaseless arguing. Anakin bent down to examine the pants Serra had discarded with such haste. What could have caused them to become uncomfortable so quickly? At first he noticed nothing unusual. But then, Anakin saw there was a slight stain on the inside of the pants leg. He held up the clothes for closer inspection and realized that there was something lining the inside of the trousers. He was puzzled for a brief moment, before clarity struck him. _Wait a minute!_ He thought suddenly, taking a sample of the substance with his prosthetic finger. The substance was see-through and oily, clinging to his index finger like a revolting drop of swamp slime. It was a residue, he realized, reminiscent of saliva or…

_Or sewer water_, Anakin thought suddenly with horror.

_Oh dear gods…_

His attention was drawn by Serra stomping back into the room.

"I forgot my lightsaber," the Jedi said with some embarrassment. "Man, why did I leave it unclipped from my belt. Where is it?"

Numbly Anakin helped her look for the weapon. His mind wasn't on the saber, which he knew had to be around here somewhere. No, there was something different on his mind. Because if his thoughts were right, they had something far more dangerous to concern themselves with than a missing saber…

If he was right…how long would he have to wait until he found out the answer to that?

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait long, because as soon as he got a glimpse of the living room over Serra's shoulders, his worst fears were answered. Serra had left the bedroom door open, allowing a full view of the common room all the way to the back in the fresher. And there, lurking quietly in the bathroom, was the object of what was now his deepest, darkest nightmare.

Sticking rigidly out of the sink, swaying gradually from side to side like a deformed Quermian's neck, was the Eye. It burned at his awareness from across the distance, staring at the Jedi with an unflinchingly serpentine gaze, piercing right into his very soul.

It knew he knew about it, that it was no mere animal that was residing in the apartment. And it was positively thrilled by that fact.

He heard Serra stumbling around searching for her saber, which barely registered in his ears.

"Ah! Found it!" Serra gripped the weapon triumphantly. She turned to grin at Anakin, ironically enough, inadvertently facing away from the view that was right now sending a profound wave of terror through him.

"Anakin?"

Anakin didn't answer. He couldn't have even if he wanted to.

All he saw was the Eye, ready to assault him as soon as he was alone.

Force help him.


	5. Day Three: Further Revelations

Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas. No profit is being made off this story.

AN: Well, I'm back! I'm sorry for taking so long to update this fic. At first I was busy with other fics and then life got really crazy. I'm glad it's still on some people's alert lists, though.

Okay, this is where the story has gone from a loose parody of of a horror story to an original fic, with the exception of a few cameos (see if you can recognize who they are). It's also a bit more serious.

A note about this chapter. A few months ago, this story appeared on an LJ page called "Summary Executions", which is part of a certain user's LJ group. This is my response to that. I'm sure fans familiar with that group will get the joke. ;)

At the end of this story, I may post a link to the episode which served as the inspiration for this fic, along with a list of other episodes that have served as inspirations for future SW fics.

* * *

**Part 5 – Day Three: Further Revelations**

Later that day, Anakin was still enthralled by what happened that morning. He could see the Eye hovering in all its malevolent glory, waiting to ensnare him with its deadly gaze.

Needles to say, he had avoided the 'fresher all throughout that morning. He'd gone out for a few hours to pick up some supplies, not knowing what awaited him when he returned. It was with some trepidation that he went back into his apartment, only to find that nothing was amiss. In spite of that, he maintained a cautious demeanor through the day.

His mind wandered to Serra's unabashed display. Why did she torment him like that? She had to know what she was doing. There was no possible way that she could not know the effect that would have on him.

At one point he considered going over to Obi-Wan's to spend the day. His Master didn't need to know the reason behind his visit. He would be glad enough to see Anakin under friendly circumstances. But then he decided that was silly. How could he think of going over to his Master's just to avoid going into the fresher here? Was he that afraid of what lurked in there? Sooner or later he would have to investigate.

Suddenly a most embarrassing thought struck him. He couldn't avoid the fresher anymore.

Anakin cursed the impulsiveness that controlled him earlier. Damn it, why did he have all those Nabooan daries?

There were very limited to choose from. He could wait for a while, but that would only be delaying the inevitable. Deciding to just get it over with, the Jedi sucked down his fear and readied himself for battle.

Anakin opened the door to the 'fresher. Everything seemed okay. He wasn't taking any chances, though. He carefully went about his business, keeping an out for anything strange in the area. When he finished he flushed the commode and put down the seat. He put down the seat cover too, just in case something was tempted to come up through it.

Washing his hands, Anakin quickly scurried out of the refresher.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Although there was no sign of something unusual, Anakin kept his guard up. It was about noon when he was struck with a very peculiar idea. What if this had happened to someone else before? He was surprised he didn't think of it before.

He decided to do some research on the matter. Luckily he had a terminal right there in his apartment to do that. Taking a seat at the HoloNet console, he proceeded to type in a suitable search query.

Two hours later he was astonished at all he'd discovered. Looking up unexplained phenomena on the HoloNet, he was bombarded with a list of sites that was absolutely enormous. He skipped the ones that looked less than reputable (namely all the tabloids), focusing on ones that read like they might have been written by a reasonable person. He was amazed at the variety of incidents. Spirits, demons, vampires…the tales of unexplained phenomena on Coruscant were almost endless. And this was just one planet. What else might be out there in the galaxy the Council hadn't heard about, or didn't bother to regard with seriousness?

He was sitting at his computer, reading over a particularly interesting article, when a most unusual thing happened. There was a knock at the door.

Anakin looked up from the screen. Who would actually knock on the door when they could just use the buzzer or intercom?

The knocking sounded again.

"All right, I'm coming," Anakin yelled from the computer. He went to the entryway and opened the door in annoyance to find…nothing. There was nobody at the door.

Anakin looked around the vicinity and saw no one running away from the apartment. Reaching out with his senses, he felt no one in the other levels besidesthe other residents of the building.

_What the…?_ Anakin thought to himself. This made no sense whatsoever.

Suddenly he noticed something at his feet. Looking down he saw a piece of paper lying on the ground. Intrigued, Anakin picked up the paper and realized there was writing on it.

_"There are places in the universe beyond imagination, populated by creatures unlike any ever seen. They are closer than we think, existing beside our own reality. Occasionally the barriers separating these places may be weakened, allowing creatures from this 'dimension' to enter our own. Be careful when engaging such creatures in battle. They may prove to be impervious to conventional weaponry." _

Anakin furrowed his brow. That was strange. What kind of message was this? Creatures from another dimension? The script was written in dark red ink, a foreboding sign if there ever was one. Suddenly he recalled the article he was reading. He hurried back to his computer and took a second look at the page onscreen.

_The Coruscant Courier_

_Monster or madness? You decide._

_By Daylene Sumikoff_

_It is often on Coruscant that we hear strange tales from the most unlikely of people. Whether it is the abundance of nightlife that whittles away people's minds, or some overactive imaginations mixed with a little alcohol, it is not at all unusual to receive stories of bizarre events that have no rational explanation. Rarely however, does one such story prove to have a basis in reality. And yet, this is one story that may not be so easily dismissed. _

_At 1300 hours of the day prior, one Rab Fangil was found disoriented in the kitchen of her apartment in Coruscant's senatorial district. The exact address of Fangil's residence shall remain undisclosed at this time, so as to not interfere with the judicial investigation. _

_Fangil was a political aficionado of somewhat successful stature. She was an aide to the Corellian representative in the Senate and was famous for saying that Corellian logic need not apply on Coruscant, a statement that earned her much criticism from the people on her home world. Perhaps that is why she was unable to maintain her position as an aide. After she was fired from the good Senator's services, Fangil then went to work for the embassy from Alderaan, an organization whose leaders made no qualms about their disapproval of Corellia's more outwardly aggressive views on several issues. _

_The Corellian female was found huddled in the corner of her kitchen, ranting about a creature she'd encountered. Known to be a cold and logical person, Fangil was respected by colleagues as a woman who could handle anything, a belief which Fangil readily encouraged. It seems the joke was on her. Having not reported to work for three days after asking for a day off, concerned colleagues broke into her apartment to find the woman in a jarring state of dishevelment, muttering ravings they could not comprehend. Apparently, what the aide had encountered was nothing less than a giant finger that literally came out of the drain. _

_It appears the incident began several days prior, when a tired Fangil had gone into her refresher in the morning only to find herself with the digit poking out of the drain. The finger extended several feet down into the drain, and appeared to be multi-jointed, capable of movements beyond the usual norm. It appeared to be of human origin, despite the fact that no human being could possibly fit inside the pipes beneath the sink. Over the next few days, the apparition proceeded to torment Fangil at every turn, until at last the terrified woman had taken a vibroblade to the creature in a vain attempt to destroy it. When co-workers arrived at her apartment, they were witness to the tangible aftermath of the experience – the woman they knew broken into a frantic mess from her ordeal. _

_They quickly called the security force for the building. Eyewitnesses attempted to ascertain whether Fangil was drinking, to no avail; there was no trace of alcohol on the premises. Nor was there any trace of intoxicating agents in Fangil's blood stream. Judicial investigators are still probing into the situation. No trace of the finger has been found thus far. However, blood samples taken from the surrounding area do not match anyone listed in the building or the Alderaanian Consulate itself. In fact, were it not for Fangil's description, there would be no indication that it _was_ human blood, or anything resembling baseline humanity. _

_Investigators theorize that perhaps Fangil might have indulged a bit too much on her supposed day off; perhaps some alcohol combined with a drug like rhyll or glitterstim. By the time co-workers arrived to find her, the traces of the substances had dissolved, and Fangil was aware of her actions to a certain degree. Thus she attempted to cover them by describing a ludicrous tale with a monster. However, Fangil is adamant that she was not intoxicated at the time of the occurrences. Although confined to a psychiatric clinic, her statements have been surprisingly clear since her discovery Datunda afternoon. She has insisted that this was not a delusion and it was not a hoax carried out to garner some fame. According to her, she confided to investigators knowing she would be ridiculed for her claims. Given the evidence of the mysterious blood and the state Fangil was in, I would tend to agree with her. Why would this woman carry out a situation that she has nothing to gain from, unless it was in fact genuine?_

_It is my duty to report the news impartially as a journalist. However, one can't help but be reminded of the occurrences of a bizarre nature in Coruscant's recent history. At a local spaceport, a man with enormous wings with seen flying into the __airspace. He then vanished into thin air. Another man was arrested for the murder of two women at a retreat at the Manarai Mountains. Rumors say that he was actually some type of insect who could masquerade as a human being, as evidenced by DNA samples obtained from the crime scene. Such a species has never been seen before in the galaxy, even among changelings. And in a section of The Works, stories tell of a headless ghost who roams the area with a massive blade, looking for victims to entrap. A team of researchers attempted to disprove these claims, only to vanish mysteriously at the time of an alleged sighting. All of these are cases that have baffled investigators, despite researchers' best attempts to solve them. _

_It is said that we can never truly be aware of what is going on around us. The world – indeed, the universe – is a weird and wonderful place. Perhaps it is more bizarre than any of us can even begin to imagine. Was one such mystery the thing Rab Fangil encountered in her apartment? _

_Monster or madness? A creature unlike any we have seen? Or the result of binge drinking and drug use? That's up to you to decide, folks. _

_I know only this: I'm going to be a lot more careful about going to the 'fresher from now on. _

_After all, why take the chance?_

A chill went down Anakin's spine, as he thought of the person at the door. Was that Daylene? No, that was ridiculous. How would this reporter know he was reading her article at the exact time he was having a similar experience of his own? No, it couldn't be Daylene who left him the message. That was just stupid.

Anakin considered his options. He could try to get in contact with Daylene Sumikoff, but that might prove to be more trouble than it was worth. The last thing he needed was some nosy reporter prying into his life.

He could try and get a hold of this Rab Fangil, but that person wasn't worth it. She sounded like a real Bantha's butt to deal with. Besides, he wasn't even sure she was still alive. She could be institutionalized, or dead. That left him only one viable option.

He decided to wait. If this creature was truly after his death, it would have to show itself eventually. Until it did, there was no use worrying over what could happen.

* * *

Anakin lay on his bed in the middle of the night. His lightsaber was next to the bed, only a short distance away. He wasn't taking any chances. The tension in the air was still very much present, preventing him from getting relaxed enough to sleep. Amazing what he'd come to, sleeping with a weapon next to him under the fear that he would wake up and find some ungodly creature lurking over him. 

Still, Anakin was only human, and the hours of restlessness were taking their toll. Against his will, he found himself falling sound asleep…

* * *

_Anakin snapped his eyes open. Something was wrong, he could feel it._

_He looked around the apartment. Nothing looked wrong at first. The lights were still turned off; the shades on the windows still pulled down._

_He stood up from the bed. It was then that he noticed that something was out of place. The light filtering under the blinds was not its usual muted color, but a much brighter orange-yellowish shade._

_For some reason, he felt hotter than usual. Anakin looked down to realize he was fully dressed in his Jedi uniform. That left him puzzled. Hadn't he undressed for bed?_

_He grabbed his lightsaber from beside the bed. There was no getting around it – he had to investigate the living room. Cautiously taking each step, his senses on full alert, he opened the door to the common room. A massive light immediately hit his eyes, causing him to reel back. He almost dropped his lightsaber, though he held firm at the last second. As his eyes adjusted to the blast, the glare diminished in power, though it still remained difficult to see._

_Anakin held his arm in front of him, shielding his view from the backlash. Gradually the light decreased in strength, until he was finally able to drop his arm and look around. A strange orange glow had permeated the living room, bathing it with an almost ethereal light. It almost looked like a sunset, but on a much larger scale. And it was filtering in through the windows of the living room._ What the hell? _Anakin thought, struggling to grasp this new development._ I have to look outside.

_He raced to the large windows in the room and took a good view of the outside world. And when he saw what awaited beyond the transparisteel, his jaw dropped in terror._

_The sky had turned completely orange in its hue. It resembled something out of a sci-fi movie. Coruscant was a wasteland, the buildings crumbling and rusted from inactivity. Miniature fires were raging on several of the buildings across the landscape. The effect was further highlighted by the surreal backdrop of the sky. Oddly enough, he noticed now that it was moving. The orange swirled hypnotically like a flame. It looked like the whole Force damned planet was on fire._

_"Dear gods," Anakin gasped, beside himself with shock. Where in the hell was he? This couldn't possibly be the Coruscant he knew. He was only asleep for a few hours! What happened?!_

_The disturbance in the Force pulled him out of his reverie. Anakin turned and quickly searched for the source of the disturbance. He looked towards the kitchen and immediately saw the trouble brewing. Arms and legs reached out towards him, growing out of a puddle of black, amorphous gore. An enemy out to attack him. But what astounded him was that the being was coming _through_ the wall. His senses were on high alert with danger. The creature was bald and pale, wearing ragged clothing stained with dirt and grime, looking like nothing less than a gruesomely animated corpse. Moaning and groaning like it was wounded, the creature crawled through the mass and dropped to the floor. And then it floated into a standing form, like a puppet being pulled up by its strings._

_Acting on instinct, Anakin stretched out his hand and slammed the creature against the wall with a Force push. The creature dropped like a stone, allowing him a brief respite. Knowing he had to get out of there, Anakin raced towards the exit. He slammed the buttons on the panel, but the door would not slide open. Choosing another route, he slammed his body against the door. It took several tries, but finally Anakin broke through the door. He ran through the halls of the apartment building, desperately seeking another human being. The corridors of the building were just as bad as the exterior, covered with dust and decay. Through the Force, he sensed that the creature had had left behind was still alive. The creature showed no signs of pursuing, but its presence was still there like a canker in the Force._ This has to be a dream_, Anakin told himself. _There's no way this can be real. It has to be a dream._ It had to be!_

_The devastation this nightmare had wrought passed him by as he ran through the halls. The apartments were all destroyed, some of them missing doors entirely, others hanging by their hinges. He ducked into an apartment on his left, looking for a way out of this deathtrap. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks. Standing several feet away was a gray-haired man in what looked to be similar to a black format suit. The old man turned towards him slowly, and even though this was a dream, Anakin had the feeling the man could see him. His face narrowed into a penetrating stare that drilled into Anakin's very soul. And then the entity spoke, his voice as cold as Hoth, as he drawled out a single and utterly frightening word._

_"Boooooooooooooooooy!"_

* * *

Anakin screamed as he woke up from the terrible nightmare. He looked around the room, but there was no sign of the ominous light, or of the creature he encountered in that place. The mysterious old man was gone. It was only a dream.

"Thank the Force, it was only a dream," Anakin muttered, as he swiped his forearm across his face. Suddenly he caught sight of something in the corner. He took a closer look as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and was startled out of his mind when he realized what it was.

It was him.

It was the Eye!

Anakin immediately went into a panic. He called his lightsaber into his hand and swung his blade in a horizontal arc, slicing through the neck of the malevolent creature. The severed eye fell to the floor, and so did the long Quermian-like neck. And then, the long neck retracted like an ascension cord, racing through the open door of the bedroom, across the living room and into the 'fresher until it disappeared into the toilet, slamming the lid shut. Anakin stared bewildered at the 'fresher, his heart racing in his chest at what just occurred. The 'fresher door remained open, its light shining ominously from across the distance, though he dare not go to investigate. He knelt down to examine the leftover head the creature left behind. As he was about to touch the revolting mass, the head suddenly turned his way and blinked. Anakin was hit with a blinding light, and he felt himself fading from the world…

* * *

Anakin woke up for the second time that night. He looked around wildly, still reeling from the impact of that incredibly blinding gaze. It took a few moments before he realized he was still in his bed, alone. No Eye, no danger, only him and his bedroom. 

It was all a dream.

Anakin sat back against the wall, wiping the sweat off his brow. Gods, this was the second time this happened. For the longest time, he had relied on waking awareness to provide him a sanctuary from the morbid images of his dreams. Now that sanctuary was shattered. By the gods, he couldn't even tell when he was awake anymore. He felt exhausted, worn out; like he had aged twenty years in the past two days.

What was happening to him?

* * *

_Only one chapter left, folks. Read and Review._


	6. Day Four: Final Confrontation

Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars. "The Moving Finger" belongs to Stephen King. "Monsters" belongs to whoever the hell owns the show right now, and doesn't bother to put it on DVD. :(

AN: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I finally finished this story. It took a while, because I really did lose focus with this story for a while and with fanfics in general. But I never forgot about it, and I always had this conclusion in mind. Since nobody guessed the cameos, I'll list the monsters and aspects of the nightmare in their order of appearance. Again, thanks a lot for the reviews. It's been a blast writing this story, and I hope that you guys enjoyed it despite the weird premise (or because of it). :)

Floating zombie - ghost from Silent Hill 3 (copyright Konami of America and Japan)

Orange, flaming sky - inspired by the Otherworld in the same game

Mysterious old man - The Tall Man from Phantasm (copyright Don Coscarelli)

There was also a deleted scene which I've omitted from this chapter, because it was too silly. If anyone would like to hear about it, I will gladly tell you about it over a PM. I also changed a joke near the end with Obi-Wan, because the one suggested by a certain reader on another forum really did fit better. And now, let's get on with the conclusion!

* * *

**Part 6 – Day 4: Final Confrontation**

He knew he should contact the Temple. He hadn't reported back in two days. They were probably starting to get worried. Well, Serra was probably worried. But he couldn't bring himself to contact them. If he did, he would have to explain what he'd been doing and they would surely believe he was crazy. That was his biggest fear: that the creature would vanish as soon as he reported it, leaving him insane in the eyes of the Council because he had no proof.

How many people had reported cryptic beings and extra-galactic visitors only to be dismissed because they had no proof? They were labeled madmen and hoaxers, mocked mercilessly and humiliated, all because they didn't bother to go after the evidence. Anakin didn't want to become one of those. If he found some way to defeat the creature, fine. He would take the evidence to the Council and let his claims be vindicated. Maybe he would even tell the story to his grandchildren someday. If not…well, then he would deal with that when the time came.

At least he had his own answers to this problem. Anakin believed he had pieced together what happened. Somehow, something had breached the barrier between this dimension and another, and a door way was opened into another dimension. That creature had come through the doorway and had somehow taken up residence in his apartment building, where it now haunted his every movement.

Sure, it was bizarre, but it was the best explanation he could come up with. And given what he had seen, and the note left at the door, it was the only thing that seemed to make sense. He knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't believe it, and neither would the Council. But the truth was stranger than most people believed sometimes. If things like the Force and other galaxies could exist, then why not other dimensions? Other places nobody had heard of, with creatures beyond imagining?

He had gone out to get fuel for his starfighter, spending most of that morning out of his apartment. It still wasn't feeling safe after last night's vision. The Temple provided him with fuel for his fighter, but he liked to use his own to get more boost from his craft – a mixture of their stuff and his own special brand he acquired at his most trusted dealer, with the meager funds provided to him by the Temple. Mixing fuels was something reserved for specialists, with flammable consequences for those who didn't get it right. But it worked for Anakin, and he got more boost from his starfighter than any other Jedi at the Temple.

He landed his speeder on the landing pad and went inside. He wasn't looking forward to going back to his apartment, but it had to be done. For some reason he felt compelled to check on up this matter instead of fleeing, to make sure the creature hadn't done any damage to something else. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so he settled down to catch up on some HoloNet news. It was around half an hour later that he noticed something was amiss. He got up from the terminal to take a break, and was stretching his legs when the training that was such an integral part of him came into focus.

Without a visible reason, he sensed a minor echo in the Force. It was only momentary, but it was there. Anakin went still. As soon as he stretched out with his senses, he realized that something was wrong. There was a tension there that spoke of a dangerous atmosphere. The air was frigid with something intangible. Something was happening. And Anakin had no illusions as to the cause of it.

He knew where it was coming from.

He cautiously approached the fresher. It was time to face his fear. Saber on hand, he reached out and keyed the access pad for the fresher. As soon as the door opened, Anakin jumped back startled. The Eye was there, hovering over the sink like a tentacle from the fiercest creature of the deep. The two stared each other down like rivals at a dueling contest, before the Eye made the first move. With a terrible hiss, it lunged at Anakin like a snake. But this time he was prepared. Acting almost instinctively, Anakin sliced through the creature, sending its head flying into the toilet. Swaying blindly, the long neck crashed sideways against the mirror, before it slumped down over the sink, blood pouring from its wound.

Anakin remained at the ready just in case it wasn't over. Suddenly a rumbling in the Force raged all around him. Suddenly, a rumbling in the Force raged all around him. To his horror, he saw tiny bones emerging from the bloody stump of a neck. _Oh gods, it's reforming_, he thought in a panic, Suddenly, a loud crash came from the kitchen which caught his attention. He went to check it out and what he saw horrified him. A large tentacle had broken through the sink, waving wildly over the counter. Anakin looked back at the fresher and saw that a second tentacle had emerged from the bathtub, standing just as long as its cousin. He looked back at the tentacle in the kitchen, which continued to thrash around wildly. What to do? What to do? He asked himself. He looked back at the eyestalk and discovered that it was now double the size it had previously been. It had already re-grown its 'head' and loomed taller than ever before.

"Oh my gods, it's getting bigger!" Anakin thought in despair. Distantly he wondered when he had gotten used to using this curse more than 'Force' inspired sayings for his curses, but he didn't have time for that right now. Suddenly, a rumbling coursed through the apartment under his feet, and Anakin was stricken with the horrifying thought.

_Oh my gods, it's in the building. _

More accurately, it was under the floor of the apartment, stretching all across the building.

How was he supposed to fight this?

"Anakin," a familiar voice said.

Anakin turned around and to his amazement, the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn stood before him, shimmering with an ephemeral blue force field.

"Master Qui-Gon? How is this possible?" Anakin exclaimed in disbelief.

Qui-Gon ignored him. "Anakin, you must defeat this threat to the entire Jedi Order," the Jedi Master said earnestly. Suddenly, Gui-Gon's eyes widened in their ephemeral sockets.

"Anakin, behind you!"

Anakin got the barest glimpse of purple, scaly flesh before something brought him down to the floor. The tentacle had wrapped itself around his leg by the shin.

"Anakin! Nooooo!"

Anakin ignored the old man. The creature was dragging him toward the fresher, where one of those hideous mouths from his dream surely waited to consume him. With his lightsaber out of reach, he had to think of something fast. Anakin called a knife from the kitchen into his hand and brought it down on the tentacle, chopping the appendage in half until it released him. Shaking away the cobwebs, Anakin stumbled into the living room. He located his lightsaber, which had dropped by the wayside in the ambush. He tried to ignite the device, but he quickly realized there was a problem. He shook the saber desperately, only to have sewer water come out of the casing.

"Damn!" Anakin cursed. The creature must have gotten to it while he was distracted. He uttered a foul string of Huttese curses in his mind that would have had Padme mortified if she had been there to hear them. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

And then he saw the fuel canister in the living room…

Anakin rushed to the corner and the fuel canister. He threw everything he could think of in there: more fuel from another canister, some drinks he had in the fringe, even some of Padme's makeup she had left behind from her only visit here. And then he began to superheat it with the Force. This was a dangerous ability and could easily harm the user if not used properly, which was why it was rarely practiced. But Anakin didn't care. He circled his hand over the substance until it was bubbling with steam.

With a maniacal grin, Anakin carried the barrel over to the fresher. The tentacles were still lashing in the sink and the bathtub, but he was safely away from their grasp. He stomped towards the fresher, step by step, until he was nearly face-to-eye with the creature.

"So, you're immune to lightsabers, huh?" Anakin questioned, feeling a maniacal glee well up inside him. "Well, then why don't you get a taste of this?!"

And with that, he poured the boiling substance over the Eye. The creature stumbled under the assault, and Anakin poured the rest of it over the eye-topped stalk. There was a roar of agony which almost sounded like a "Noooo!" from within the Eye, as the roiling substance burned its flesh and turned it blue, like a vat of sulfuric acid. Finally the creature slumped in the sink. The tentacles in the kitchen and bathtub disappeared, as if pulled back into the plumbing in the grip of an emphatic death throe.

* * *

Back in the Jedi Temple, there was a stir as a powerful Force disturbance swept through the Council chambers. The Councilors were shaken out of their trance, and Serra Keto and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was briefing the Council on a side project, reeled under the attack.

"What was that?!" Adi Gallia questioned.

"I don't know…but I think it came from Anakin's apartment," Obi-Wan said, with audible concern in his voice.

"I'll go check on him!" Serra declared, who swiftly turned on her heels and left the room.

Obi-Wan looked at her as she left, specifically the curve of her hips.

"Wait. Are those Anakin's trousers?" he asked to nobody in particular.

* * *

It was over.

Anakin lay slumped against the wall. His heart was still pounding from the experience battling that thing. Anakin looked over at the fresher, where the Eye lay slumped over the sink. He had done it. Despite the odds of not knowing where the creature came from or even what it was, he had defeated the menace haunting his apartment. Gradually he began to laugh.

"I beat you!" he exclaimed, reveling in the moment as the exhilaration of triumphing engulfed him, making him giddy with laughter.

"I beat you!"

He didn't notice the presence moving behind him, out of sight of his peripheral view.

He continued to laugh, as though possessed by some fit of madness. A passerby would have been alarmed to hear the hints of insanity in his voice.

Suddenly, Anakin noticed that there was a slimy slithering sound from nearby. He stopped laughing as he became aware of a very dark, strangely familiar presence. A _very_ familiar presence, one that was engulfing in its void-like nature. He looked up to see a purple column of flesh, towering over his prostrate form, an image that was too much for his frazzled brain to take.

The scream of denial that exploded past his lips was louder than any Anakin had uttered during the Clone Wars, as the column swooped down on his form.

* * *

Serra Keto entered the apartment. She took a look around, assessing the situation. Everything seemed in its place. She half-expected to be walking into a war zone, but the apartment seemed as fine as could be. And then she caught a glimpse of something that was definitely not right.

"Anakin?"

The Jedi Knight was sitting near the door to the fresher, with a perplexing look on his face. He seemed nearly unaware of his surroundings, and was subtly trembling.

Serra rushed to him and knelt down next to check on him.

"Anakin?" She laid a hand on his shoulder. The Jedi didn't respond.

"Anakin, are you alright?" she asked.

The Jedi was muttering. "I should have known. Immune to conventional weaponry. You can't kill it with conventional weaponry."

Serra was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly she noticed that the fresher door was closed. Was there something in there?

Anakin took notice of what she was doing. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you," he warned her.

Serra ignored him. She marched carefully towards the fresher, reaching out with her senses in case there was any danger. She opened the door to the fresher and looked around. The bathroom was empty, and everything seemed to be in place. Her eyes were drawn to another aspect of the bathroom. She looked down at the toilet, which was covered by the white lid - strange, considering Anakin was the only one who lived here. Curiously, Serra lifted the seat and froze at what she saw inside. There was a severed eyestalk floating in the water, purplish in color with revoltingly grotesque skin. Serra stared at the body part with fascination and revulsion. What the hell…? Suddenly, the 'head' turned in her direction, fixing its blinking gaze on her. Serra drew back in shock. Was this thing actually _alive_? She asked herself. She wasn't aware of the object rising behind her in the bathtub.

Serra felt an odd sensation coming from behind her. She looked back and saw a large purple tentacle hovering over her.

There was a loud scream heard from the bathroom as the tentacle converged on Serra. Anakin shook his head in quiet cynicism.

"I told her not to go in there," he said knowingly.

* * *

_Epilogue_

"So that's the whole story, according to what I could discern from Anakin's memories," Obi-Wan answered, still in awe of it all. "His memories of the events are jumbled, but I'm positive he's telling the truth."

Mace furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief. The older Council member was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around this set of occurrences.

"I still find it hard to believe," Mace muttered skeptically.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Be that as it may, Master, I'm certain Anakin is telling the truth," he said, trying to contain his irritation. It was one thing to be skeptical, but his former Padawan was in the emergency ward and they had another Jedi Knight as a witness to the creature. It was time to shed the lingering doubt and start finding out exactly where that thing came from.

The Korun Master pondered on that for a moment. Finally, he sighed and turned to the other Jedi Master.

There was still skepticism there. "Have they found the creature yet?" he inquired to Master Kenobi.

"No. Several teams of Knights went there, but they have had no success so far," Obi-Wan answered, shuddering at the thought of that thing still out there.

"I see," Windu said.

Council members soon began filing in past them, taking their respective seats in the chamber. It wasn't long until they were all assembled. Suddenly, they noticed one of their own was missing. The Council members looked around at each other, as they looked at the signature empty seat in the circle.

Adi Gallia looked at the others in concern. "Where's Master Yoda?"

* * *

In the chambers located deep within the Jedi Temple, filled to the brim with numerous jungle plants and artifacts, there was a fresher that was uniquely suited for a being of small stature. Currently there was a hole in the wall above the bathtub, dark with roughened edges as though something had burst inside through the wall. Inhuman growling sounds could be heard coming from the hole, and the faintest sounds of screaming from a desperate person were faintly audible from somewhere down below.

The room lay still outside the fresher, in mute testimony to its missing occupant.

_It's never over. _

_The End?_

_

* * *

_

_At last we've come to the end of "The Roaming Eye". Thank you so much for all of the reviews. I really appreciated knowing that you were enjoying the story, and I hope I kept you guessing until the final chapter._

_Unfortunately, the site that hosted The Moving Finger has gone down, so I can't provide a link to that. However, the series is currently airing on Chiller, so it should get to that episode eventually. In fact, it aired a couple weeks ago, if I recall. And you can always read the short story by the master himself. ;)_

_Here is a list of episodes for which I might do stories for:_

_Seasons of Belief - "Tales from the Darkside"_

_New York Honey - "Monsters"  
_

_The Cutty Black Sow - "Tales from the Darkside"_

_Like this story, the stories will be similar in concept to those episodes, but will be set in the Star Wars setting and contain twists not found in the original stories. These are only inspired by those episodes, not exact translations, since I haven't seen a wealth of Star Wars horror stories here. I'm very busy with my other stories right now, but I hope to get to at least one of these in the next couple months. If you have suggestions as to which story you'd like to see first, I'd love to hear them. In the mean time, take care everyone._

_- PyramidHead316_


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